Long May She Reign! William And Kate's Baby Could Be Britain's First Heiress To A More Modern Throne

Kathryn Dill
,
Forbes Staff
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William and Kate's eldest child will become heir to the British throne, regardless of gender. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since the start of their relationship, Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, have captured the imaginations of royalty enthusiasts the world over. The impending birth of the couple’s first child has provoked fervor once again, with photographers and fans already forming a queue outside St. Mary’s Hospital in London in anticipation.

But commemorative tea towels and myriad magazine covers aside, this child will be the first ever to become rightful heir to the British throne totally regardless of gender.

“When Princess Elizabeth was heading to the hospital in 1948 to have Prince Charles, well-wishers said to Philip that they hoped she had a boy,” said Arianne Chernock, Boston University professor of modern British history and the monarchy. “I don’t think that well-wishers this time will say that to William.”

The passage of the Succession to the Crown Act by Parliament this past April cast aside the law of male primogeniture, which had for centuries decreed that the heir to the British crown had to be male (in giving birth to sons William and Harry, it was said, Diana had produced an “heir and a spare.”) The birth of a daughter would make the recent changes to the monarchy immediately apparent, though Chernock warns not to expect sweeping alterations to centuries of tradition right away.

“If it is a girl, I think her early life will be scrutinized in a different way because of the change in law,” she said. “It’s an evolution. Are we going to see marked changes? The whole point of the monarchy is it’s in keeping with tradition. It’s not about radical shifts.”

In quickly adopting the act, the monarchy blazed a bit of a trail both domestically and abroad. The Spanish monarchy is said to be rethinking its guidelines for succession, based on the recent changes in the UK, but male primogeniture is still very much in practice among the British aristocracy, where it is used not to determine who will inherit the crown but who will inherit the family estate. The concept is central to
ITV's wildly popular Downton Abbey , in which a concrete entail legally prevents an English lord’s daughters from inheriting his vast wealth, or their American mother’s.

But if the commonwealth’s laws haven’t always indicated as such, the British people seem to feel right at home with women at the royal helm. Victoria and Elizabeth II are Britain’s two longest reigning monarchs, having each assumed the throne as "heiress presumptive"--Victoria following the death of her uncle, the king, and in the absence of other living male uncles or cousins, and Elizabeth following the abdication of her uncle and the death of her father, and in the absence of brothers. Some scholars believe a female heir to the throne could be more readily embraced by younger generations.

“I suspect Palace officials will be hoping for a baby girl,” said Frank Prochaska, historian of modern Britain and author of several books about the British monarchy, via email. “Women have been on the throne for 125 of the past 200 years, which has softened the image of the monarchy--Queens are easier to love than Kings. The feminization of the monarchy has been a trend that has served the institution well.”

Prochaska suggests that beyond gender and inheritance, education could also be a significant indication of a departure from earlier royal generations.

“One may assume [the child] will have a somewhat more middle-class upbringing than Prince Charles, though sheltered and hounded in equal measure,” said Prochaska. “Both the parents are university graduates, so it seems likely that he/she will be one too. Compare this with earlier generations of royal children, whose formal education was often spasmodic.”

Ultimately, says Chernock, a child who will become sovereign monarch regardless of gender and enjoy an upbringing that includes a close relationship between family members both royal and common could be the heir who most embodies the cultural identity the House of Windsor has long sought to demonstrate.

“In a way, the royal family has been trying to model middle class virtues and sensibilities since the 19th century,” said Chernock, “so I really don’t see it as that disruptive. If anything this makes things more authentic, it’s an attempt to really connect with the people. This child will perhaps be looked on particularly fondly for having that connection.”